Before and after: a house converted from an old Salvation Army. Design by Hunt & Design, built by Schmidt Construction. Photo: Tom Ferguson
They are houses made from old barns, warehouses, granensilos and even police and fire station barracks.
In NSW, a wave of home buyers rewrite the rules of real estate by transforming historical or forgotten buildings into unique homes.
At a time when many fight against the brutal reality of the traditional market, visionary buyers no longer understand or decayed houses, so that they are converted into striking living spaces or accommodation.
Gerringong Police Station
In the Illawarra region, as soon as the original police station of Gerringong, 89 Fern ST is offered on the market for the first time in more than 90 years with a price guide of $ 3.5 million to $ 3.7 million.
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Currently on the market is 89 Fern St, Gerringong, originally a police station
“It was the old police station built in 1882 and used as a police station and prison until 1933,” said noting agent Angie Ritchie of First National Coast & Country Gerringong.
Mrs Ritchie said that the house was sold in 1933 and was later converted into a private home.
“It has been carefully renovated, it is quite surprising,” she said.
“The original characteristics, the open fireplaces, original prison cells are still there with the metal doors, there are also all the bars and there is a beep hole through one of the walls where you would have originally searched for the prisoners.
“Where the living room is now, which was actually the old practice garden.”
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Innisfallen Castle
Sitting on a vast park-like terrain, the heritage that is mentioned as ‘Innisfallen Castle’ is the namesake of Castle Cove, one of only five Castellated mansions in the inner Sydney ring.
One of the five Castellated mansions in the Inner Syndey Ring, 14 Cherry PL, Castle Cove is currently the market
Currently mentioned, the house at 14 Cherry PL was built from Sandstone and has a tormented tower on the north side, three floors high with a separate staircase that was currently used for Maid Quarters.
With only two owners in the 120 years, the eight-bedroom, four bathrooms, is designed in English Gothic perpendicular.
“Built in 1902, it is really a historic home,” said Biller Property Listing Agent Ben Torban. “The house is also supplied with a tennis court and more than 8000 m².”
Allegedly the agents have interest above $ 30 million.
In April 1999 the house was added to the NSW Heritage Register and took care of the preservation of its history and land.
More: Live in a water tower: home conversions that you should see to believe
The Silo’s Accommodation
NSW farmers Nicholas and Amber Heffernan now have and operate the Silos accommodation, a quirky and wanted accommodation that is offered from their no longer used granensilos.
The Silos accommodation was converted from two grain silos. Image: Jarrad di Mauro Photography.
“It was probably in mind for more than 20 years,” said Mr Heffernan.
“There were two silos on that hill and just in a really good position with a beautiful view above.”
The couple saw conversions online where people in America where Silos turn into houses that encourage them to follow the idea.
“We had to deconstruct and put down a new foundation and use the silo as the upholstery and on the outside of the building as soon as we had built it,” said Mr Heffernan.
With the help of both silos to create the only accommodation for guests, Mrs. Heffernan said that about one and a half half -house is being used.
“Each part of the silo was reused in some form … The panels such as the upholstery, the old base of the silo and the doors of the silo were used at the old entrance,” she said.
In December 2023 they started to dismantle the projects at the end of September and open to the public in October 2024.
Cooee architecture Sarah Lebner helped with the designs. Inside, a bedroom in loft style, several windows, kitchenette, bath and cozy fireplace and outside, paddock-outlooks, fireplace and wood fire bubble bath under the stars.
Former Salvation Army Hall
Transformation of the Bygone Leichhardt Salvation Army Hall and Stables on the lower North Shore of Sydney in a commercial establishment in combination with a family house was the task of Creative Director and the main designer Maryann Schmidt of Hunt & Design.
Citadel Conversion Project, former old Salvation Army Hall. Photo: Hunt & Design / Schmidt Construction / Tom Ferguson
Mrs. Schmidt said that the conversion was completed in 2024, lasted a few years with the customers who involved her in 2021.
“The owners came in and fell in love with the building – they wanted to convert it into a house and residence for themselves, but also have a commercial site because they are on the creative field, they wanted to create a commercial part that matched film and photography with their work.
Mrs. Schmidt said that some of the conversion was to create a multitude of meeting rooms and spaces for people to keep events, a podcast studio and Cyc Wall that could be rented out for production, film and advertising companies.
“For the residential side we made an upper area that was a beautiful house with three bedrooms with an ensuite, huge kitchen that they also hire for commercials and TV programs and things like that,” she said.
In the converted Salvation Army. Photo: Hunt & Design/ Tom Ferguson
“It was really important when we did the design that it was pretty wow, but it also had to remain faithful to the spirit of the house and all those beautiful heritage characteristics really accentuated.
“They are actually two heritage products, the front is the citadel that is the Salvation Army, but the back is actually a stables that was built much earlier and the stables are where the kitchen and the Cyc wall are staying.”
Not able to change the roofing in this room, Mrs. Schmidt said they have included trusses in the kitchen and the living space with the help of old railroad rays to support the roof, but retain the aesthetic look
“For us it would always be about the history of the house when we put together the design and that was really our leading light and our principles when we had the spaces within the inner,” she said.
Conversion of the artists’ artists
The striking warehouse conversion of an artist at Barr St in Balmain came on the market for the first time in 40 years and sold at the end of 2024.
The converted warehouse of an artist in Balmain sold in 2024
“It was owned by a pretty renowned artist by the name Sandra Leveson, of which I was pretty sure that I bought it in the 1970s and she did a pretty big conversion of it in the 1980s, which would probably be honest to say that at the time would have been very futuristic,” said Cobdenhayson selling agent Danny Cobden.
“During the sales process, because these large warehouse homes are very rare in Balmain, I looked at people who might spend somewhere between the renovation between $ 2-5 million.”
Mr Cobden said it was a huge extensive space that integrated the artist’s working area for her painting, mezzanine levels, an indoor swimming pool and a separate independent area that was almost a separate apartment with one bedroom on the ground floor.
“The scale of the warehouse remained and it had that diligent type of feeling, but when it was renovated in the 1980s, it was clearly very advanced for that time,” he said.
Petersham -Bandweerkazerne
Built in around 1886, the converted two-storey Petersham fire station was broken up at 308-314 for a price above $ 7 million in 2018.
308-314 Stanmore Road is the old fire station of Petersham that has been converted since then
The two -storey building maintains its heritage functions with its non -knowable facade on a corner position of 891m² with two street fathers.
In 2022, the house that was active as a luxury Airbnb came to the market again via Colliers team of Harry Bui and James Cowan, the exclusive list, with price expectations of more than $ 10 million.
At the time, the house had offices, a boardroom, bedrooms, seven bathrooms and water cupboards.
The Petersham bright barracks now has a swimming pool.
The building was the first fire station to be founded in Metropolitan Sydney after the founding of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade in 1884, reportedly stopped in 1991 and since upgraded to include residential and hospitality use.
Sanding conversion
Another conversion saw a farm barn and barn turned into an unusual house.
A former Hooisal home that was sold in December 2024
The house with six bedrooms, two bathrooms in Hinton was a former Hooischuur in the 1880s with vintage steel, heritage Ironbark Timber, exposed steel beams and polished concrete floor.
The house that was last sold in December 2024 for a reported $ 1,565,000. The house includes various individual living spaces and six large bedrooms, which sleep up to 12 people.
Church conversion
A house converted from a church that was also sold in Bondi Junction in February for $ 4.25 million.
The Landmark Mill Residences Church Conversion merged the Gothic Revival architecture with advanced design.
A converted Bondi Junction Church sold in February for $ 4.25 million
There is a chic house in the church.
More: Landkerken run heads as buyers seek conversions
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